Taka
by proudy9
Summary: The vengeance-seeking raven. The mentally anguished giant. The chaotically rebellious shark. The knowledgeable but feeble shrew. No these are not character's ripped from fairy tales or children's fables. These four individuals make up team TAKA. A name that makes both humans and Grimm alike tremble. (UNDERGOING SOME CLEANING. CHAPTER 3 IS READY TO UPLOAD WHEN FINISHED. NO DATE SET)
1. Chapter 1: Snow

"Snow...my what a lovely surprise." The words were uttered in a raspy voice.

Kind, yet full of knowledge, the voice could only belong to a small, elderly woman currently walking the night lit streets of a large town called Dormus, pausing for a minute to take in the breathtaking sight of snow on a Summer's eve.

"And it's not even Winter." She chuckled softly to herself in disbelief before continuing her trek to wherever her destination may be.

Rounding a corner the woman was confronted with a well-kept green park that boasted a countless number of evergreens.

Despite the picturesque image in front of her the woman's face fell as a decision popped into her head, 'should she go straight through the park saving a good hour on her walk?' or 'should she take the longer route but risk missing her favourite soaps?'.

To any uninformed they would almost certainly choose the first option. I mean really, who wouldn't enjoy a quiet walk in the snow through a well lit park? However as the woman herself knows, the park has been the site of a number of muggings in recent weeks, with many victims ending up not just robbed but beaten black and blue as well.

The woman breathes out, not knowing that, subconsciously, she had been holding her breath and steels her resolve.

This newfound confidence being based upon the fact that the last attempted mugging was prevented by an unknown vigilante, who was said to have sent the muggers away with black eyes, their (metaphorical) tails between their legs and jeans stained with their own urine.

The woman stifled a laugh remembering the contents of the article she had read and began making her way through the blanketed park.

Quietly she hummed to herself a song that her mother sang to her as a child, one that gave her peace of mind and reminded her that she was safe from the monsters of Grimm.

Upon entering the dead center of the park, its most shaded area, the woman was stopped in her tracks when a man emerged in front of her.

Under the minimal amount of light the woman was granted she could only detect the glimmer of piercings on his brows and cheeks and his glowing purple Mohawk, which made him appear to be an impressive 5 foot and 10 inches tall.

Her heart sank and she swiftly turned around to make a hasty exit only to discover another man with similar piercings and an orange Mohawk had appeared not 5 meters away from her and blocked her path, 'no not a man' she corrected 'a boy'.

The two teens inched closer encircling her, as if in an attempt to further intimidate her and as she was able to see them clearer she could just make out the bruising around both boys' right eye.

"Well well well Maxie. Look at what we have here. Quite a sight isn't she?" It was the orange haired one that spoke first and the sudden noise in the otherwise soundless park made the elderly woman visibly flinch.

"Ooooh you're right about that Rudy!, A stunning beauty from a time long past." The boy known as Maxie spoke sardonically, and made extravagant hand gestures so as to mock the lady in front of him.

Strolling right up to the woman Rudy grabbed at a very well hidden pendant, with a chain so thin you could be correct in assuming it was made out of string.

"This is just what I was looking for...well...that and whatever is inside that handbag of yours." His tone was condescending and as he spoke she rebelliously leered at him.

"Please!", The woman pleaded, "Just leave me be. Take my bag but please, give me back my pendant and leave me be."

With arms shaking wildly due to a mixture of fear and the sudden cold that was upon them, the woman presented her bag, "I'm begging you."

Snatching the bag from the woman's loose grip Maxie whistled loudly.

"Seems to me Rudes that the pendant ya got there is awful important to her. As he spoke, Maxie rifled through the woman's property, tossing aside any of its contents he deemed worthless.

"Right as per usual Max. You know, you really aren't as dumb as they said you were in school." Rudy smirked as he saw through the corner of his eye his partners glare.

"As a sign of good will madam for your fabulous co-operation I shall return your precious little locket." He said with an imperious bow.

Unconvinced, the woman watched as he held it out to her dangling it by its chain and showing off its simple yet elegant design.

She stared at it for a number of seconds still disbelieving the crooks sudden good intentions before finally she reached for it.

Within a flash the dewdrop shaped crystal, the centerpiece of the accessory was crushed within the villains hands, the white dust once encapsulated within it flying freely into the air.

Almost immediately the woman dropped to her knees, her last connection with her husband vanishing with the wind before her eyes.

A maniacal laugh, not all that different to the sounds a hyena makes, broke the vivid silence of the area.

Rudy held his hands to his stomach in an unsuccessful effort to control himself from laughing, as he soon went into a heavy coughing fit.

"Shit!" He laughed aloud, quickly entering a coughing fit, "I'm sorry Gran. I couldn't resist it!" he joked, wiping a tear from his eye.

Without warning a hand slapped down hard on his shoulder, "Come on man we got too cocky last time and remember what happened. Let's just go already."

Maxie's attitude seemed to have gotten more nervous with the growing darkness and his eyes darted around the wooded area in search of a presence that was not there.

His partner recovered from his small fit and gazed down at the broken woman at his feet who was now bawling her eyes out.

The boy contemplated in that position for several seconds, not on the events that had just transpired but on the events of a previous night, in which he and his comrade were truthfully scared shitless and beaten by a man who could conjure lightning from his hands.

' _Not our best robbery._ ' Rudy thought to himself with a small chuckle, scratching his poor excuse for a beard which only consisted of a couple of strands of hair.

The man that had hit them was 6 foot tall with pitch black hair and an even darker cloak covering his body.

After the stranger had finished delivering what he believed to be a just punishment, that being a flurry of kicks and punches which broke two of Maxie's ribs and dislocated Rudy's shoulder, and gave them their respective black eyes, had threatened to burn their faces beyond repair if he ever caught them trying to steal from someone again.

As tough as Rudy believed himself to be he was not stupid enough to fight against someone with a semblance that could very easily kill someone like him, who has not yet unlocked his aura.

Nodding to his partner they walked back the way the woman had arrived.

"How much did she have on her?" Rudy asked yawning in the process, "She looked pretty well off so she did."

"You were right to target the old ones!" Maxie grinned and pulled a large stack of cash out of the handbag and began flicking through it, "15000 liens!, can you believe it!?"

Unbeknownst to the purple haired boy, his partner had stopped walking a few meters back whilst he had continued walking.

Taking his head out of the bag Maxie turned around to find his associate frozen in his tracks.

"W-Whats the matter mate?" Maxie asked anxious over the answer he may receive.

The only acknowledgment he received that Rudy had heard him was a shaky hand rising to point at the shady individual making their way towards them.

Immediately after glancing over his shoulder to make sure his partner wasn't imagining things, Maxie burst into a full blown sprint, dragging his partner in crime by the collar down the path they had just come from, as the shadowy figure was most definitely there and most definitely had spotted them.

Passing the elderly woman, still crying in the snow, the duo paused to catch their breath checking to see if their adversary was on their trail. Through each panting breath the pair thanked their luck that the path was clear, they looked at each other and wordlessly nodded each taking it as a sign to continue on.

Perhaps the two boys had a lot of karma to make good on, as unluckily for them after they turned around to continue their getaway they came face-to-face with the man who haunted their recent dreams.

A high pitched shriek escaped Rudy's mouth whilst Maxie fell animatedly on his back in clear shock.

"I thought I warned you." The cloaked individual spoke in a smooth but harsh and intimidating voice and was silent for a moment before continuing.

"It seems that a punishment is in order".

A metal **_sheek_** echoed throughout the trees as a long, razor-edged katana was drawn out from inside the dark void that was the man's cloak. Brandishing it in front of the two the dark haired man proceeded to close the small 4 foot gap between the three.

"You know in more primitive and backwards villages outside the walls of Vale, there are different ways that authority deals with stealing." The raven haired devil stared down at the blade in his hand and paced slowly in front of the two.

"Resources are sparse and therefore many unorthodox methods are used to deter stealing."

He paused for a moment to look up at the duo, making sure he had their full attention, and began again.

"One lesser known method I've seen used is to burn the thieves palms beyond repair. This renders them physically unable to pick up anything and therefore prevents them from stealing again. Utterly barbaric, yet effective."

His pacing continued and with every step he took the boys' heart rates spiked.

"Another, much cleaner method is to simply cut off the thieves thumbs, more or less preventing them from stealing again."

The man looked up and it was in that moment the two teens saw the pure onyx eyes he possessed that cut right through the very foundations of your soul.

"I've already given you a chance." He said without any hint of emotion.

"You are undeserving of another."

It was at this point that Rudy made a break for it, whilst Maxie remained paralyzed by fear on the ground.

The roughly 17 year old teen made it only two steps before he was hit in the forehead by the butt of the raven's katana, forcing him off his feet and into the snow.

Stepping around the boy, the man continued.

"Now, whichever one of you speaks first will get to choose their punishment." He said calmly, both boys' eyes widening as they stared at each other, mouths agape.

Breaking out of his self-induced trance Maxie muttered absolute gibberish before finally completing a few tangible sentences.

"Please sir! We're sorry we didn't mean to steal from that woman. We won't do it again HONEST. Just please please let us go. Let me go by myself if you have to. He-" Maxie pointed to Rudy.

"H-He's the one you want. He's the leader in all of this. HE'S the reason the old lady's crying. I tried to stop him but I was too late. Oh please sir let me go!"

Maxie suddenly leapt forward, towards the mans feet and began groveling.

Rudy, still dazed from the hard blow to the head could barely understand what was happening in front of him.

After a few moments of silence, the raven haired demon uttered three simple words; "One or Two?".

"S-Sorry?" Maxie replied raising his head to meet the eyes of his tormentor.

"One or Two?" The raven repeated.

Knowing full well the meaning behind each word Maxie jumped backwards and began shuffling away on his back.

"PLEASE SIR!" He screamed, "Don't do this to me."

"I believe I heard you say two." The demon said quietly, yet to the panic-ridden Maxie the words sounded out like an alarm in his ears.

"No, no, no, no, no sir you can't. I didn't mean it that way. Please please believe me!" He screeched, raising his hands to protect himself and turning his face away.

"Too bad." Were the last words Maxie heard before he felt the abrupt loss of two of his appendages.

Much to the sword wielders surprise, and slight dismay, there was no scream. The teen had passed out from shock leaving his two bloody nubs open to infection in the pristine snow.

The raven didn't spare the boy any pity however. If his memory served him well, and it did, then 19 people had fallen victim to the boys' muggings and occasional beatings. 20 now he supposed, eyeing the elderly woman still crying in the field of snow yards away.

The raven turned to his next victim, who was currently cradling his head and unaware of what had just happened to his partner.

' _Must have given him a concussion_ ' The raven realised, sheathing his sword and crouching down next to the teen.

"You know I feel kind of bad for doing this." He admitted to the barely conscious teen.

"It's not that I don't enjoy hurting you or that I feel you don't deserve to be hurt, because you really do."

Wearily he gazed upwards towards the falling snow.

"I suppose it's just... sad... seeing potential squandered."

"Oh well..." He surmised with a sigh, in his usual lugubrious tone.

"Let's get this over with."

He glanced again at the teen who had not made any indication of acknowledging his presence.

"You know..." The raven started, "Since you won't remember this, and because I'm in a particularly good mood today I'm going to give you my name."

"So, whilst I burn your hands to the point where they become more of a liability than an asset, engrave this name into the back of your skull."

Within the blink of an eye the raven's appearance was drastically altered. All of a sudden the raven's body was cloaked in a radiant blue glow.

Sparks of electricity ran along his body and jutted out several inches, as if they were coordinating an attack on the night air. Intimidatingly, the raven was unaffected by the lightning traipsing around himself.

Cries, more akin to the chirping of a bird, erupted from the lightning and as Rudy watched the display in agonising fear his eyes began flowing with tears.

The raven forcefully grabbed the teens hands in his and squeezed hard, somehow centering the lightning only on the boy's hands and preventing it from coursing through the rest of his body. A gut-wrenching scream immediately emitted from the tortured boys throat, however the steely raven was unaffected.

Leaning in towards the boys ear, ignoring the horrific screams that continued to escape from within the teen, the raven whispered to him.

"My name," He paused increasing the quantity of lightning and utterly scorching the boy's hands, "is Sasuke Uchiha."

And with that said and done the black haired man, now identified as Sasuke Uchiha, sent one great burst of electricity into the boy's entire body, causing the misguided teen to, like his friend, faint from a mixture of pain and shock.

Standing slowly and allowing the sparks to flicker out of existence, Sasuke observed the area around him.

Two broken, beaten and bleeding bodies lay motionless on the ground, with not 5 feet of distance between them. The snow that had once smothered the area had melted from the explosive heat Sasuke had radiated as he tortured a problematic teen.

The final thing in the vicinity of note to the raven was a handbag lying a couple of yards in front of Maxie's crumpled up body. Casually he picked it up, looked through its contents, and proceeded to make his way towards the grieving woman whose tears were now frozen to her face.

If she had heard the screams of agony from barely a few seconds earlier, which she undoubtedly should have even despite her age, she gave no indication.

Without a word Sasuke placed the bag gently down in front of her and pulling the hood of his cloak down, revealed that the face behind the dreary voice belonged to a young adult rather than a man.

Not only was the raven revealed to be a teen now, but he was also roughly the same age as the two boys he had just mutilated if not only just a year or so older. Once again, the woman did not show any signs of acknowledging him, staring silently at the ground.

"Humans." Sasuke began.

He sighed loudly and staring up at the late night sky allowed the free falling snow to caress his face, "Many can be worse than monsters."

Before the next snowflake could kiss the ground the raven haired teen had vanished, closing the book on the events that had transpired in an ordinary park in an ordinary town one extraordinary evening.

* * *

The airship was right where the lone wanderer was told it would be.

Alone, it sat at the edge of the docks, in an area cordoned off for aircrafts, given the large number of heli-pads placed almost randomly on the tarmac. The cargo door at the back of the ship were open, showing off the somewhat luxurious insides and exposing the several would-be huntsmen and huntresses already on board to the cold.

Sasuke walked tiredy towards one of the two soldiers on either side of the ship feeling inside one of his pockets for his papers.

Despite the stoic expression on his face, the teen would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about starting this new chapter of his life, one in which he would no longer be alone and would be forced to interact with others constantly.

Whether that would turn out to be a good or bad thing Sasuke did not yet know and as he approached the open door he shut such trivial thoughts, as he had deemed them, out of his head.

Stopping in front of the soldier, who was of a similar height, Sasuke took a second to admire how unprofessional he looked.

Lying haphazardly on the ground next to his foot was the soldier's helmet, which lacked any dents or scratches, informing Sasuke that the man must be new.

A bright red splash could be made out very clearly against the white background of the soldiers chestpiece, not blood but a ketchup stain, the raven examined with his keen eyes. Combining the man's lazy attitude with his blatant disregard for armor and equipment, Sasuke felt the urge to hit him for his lack of discipline.

 _'That would be a very bad idea.'_ Sasuke reasoned with himself after some deliberation, and reached into his pockets to present the soldier with a form.

"I'm here for Beacon." He stated flatly, his cold demeanour unyielding.

The 'soldier' took a measly two seconds to observe the document before ushering him inside. If Sasuke wasn't so appalled by the soldier's incompetence he may have cracked a smile, although that event was still unlikely.

Taking one of the seats furthest inside, away from the open door, Sasuke thought about the situation he was now in.

After spending many years alone, quietly honing his abilities and kindling his thirst for revenge, he was about to begin his self-designated mission.

 _'It may take some time.'_ Sasuke thought grimly, it had been a few minutes since his arrival and the door of the ship was beginning to close, ' _But I will accomplish my task.'_

For the first time in ages, Sasuke allowed himself a small smile. Whether or not the smile was to encourage himself or due to how nervous he was, even Sasuke himself was unsure.

"The next pickup zone is 40 minutes away so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride kids!" A robotic sounding voice rang out through the intercom.

 _'The pilot.'_ Sasuke assumed, abiding by the suggestion and resting his head against the wall of the airship.

With a small smirk on his face, he wondered aloud, "Hopefully he didn't train alongside that poor excuse for a soldier."

* * *

It had been a mostly peaceful flight for Sasuke over the next few hours, only suffering from the random bursts of turbulence and the occasional landings.

Apparently the stop he had gotten on was the first, as it had been the furthest from Vale, and so Sasuke had been in for a long journey.

With every stop the airship gradually became more cramped and vibrant, with many colourful huntsmen and huntresses in training wearing bright flashy gear. Thankfully however, there only remained one more stop until Sasuke's journey began, the academy itself.

Sadly for the black haired teen, his destination would still be several hours away.

To pass the time Sasuke judged the other inhabitants of the aircraft. Many, if not all, were busy showing each other their 'mediocre' weapons, as Sasuke had judged them. He couldn't help but notice however, that despite how weak some of the teens looked, each and every one of them was entirely unique.

Sasuke had not met many huntsmen during his travels, and most he did encounter he watched from afar. #

Due to his lack of up close information on their customs, he was somewhat unaware of how a huntsman should dress and act, and so was surprised to see how carefree many of them were.

The way in which they gossiped and flirted with each other infuriated the raven. It was as if they were all privileged kids who had not yet encountered a beast of Grimm and thought that becoming a huntsmen would simply make their parents proud.

Sasuke's blood boiled, as thinking about the incompetence of these soon to be huntsmen and huntresses only served to bring horrible, deeply traumatizing memories back to his attention.

Resurfacing thoughts Sasuke had long since buried revealed themselves for several moments, and the raven could not help but scowl and clench his fists as he remembered many grotesque images.

Looking to distract himself from his own mind, the teen glared around the room until his eyes fell on an orange haired girl dressed entirely in pink.

She appeared to be lost or confused,considering how her head darted around the room in search of someone or something. What caught Sasuke's attention however, was that the girl had an impressive and foreboding looking hammer strapped to her back.

His eyes must have lingered a moment too long on the girl, as suddenly, her eyes met with his. To avoid a possible conversation from starting, the raven quickly turned his head to observe the rest of the room, quietly hoping that the girl would make nothing of the encounter.

Sadly, Lady Luck was not on his side today, and the poor raven was not fortunate enough for that to be the outcome.

"THERE YOU ARE!" The ear-piercing cry from across the room, of course came from the girl he was just looking at, and suddenly all eyes were on her.

The huntress in pink made her way to Sasuke at a breathtaking speed. In that moment Sasuke was surprised, both by her speed, and the fact that her words were apparently addressed to himself.

As the boy tried to comprehend what was going on, he failed to realise that the girl had jumped into the air and was now flying towards him.

With his rather exceptional reaction time, the raven was just barely able to dive sharply to his right, narrowly dodging the pink and orange bullet that had fired towards him.

The girl had unceremoniously crashed head first into the cold, steel walls of the airship, leaving a large dent visible from even the outside. Tearing his eyes away from the spectacular scene, Sasuke stood and dusted himself off, before offering the girl buried a foot deep into the ships port hull a murderous glare.

As if no incident had occurred at all, the girl pushed herself cleanly away from the walls firm grip on her head and tossed the boy a quizzical look.

"Why'd you jump out of the way?", she asked dejectedly, her face scrunching up and forming into a pout, "You've never done that before."

Moderately stunned by the girls change in composure and her incredible resilience Sasuke stuttered for a short second before adopting his signature scowling disposition.

"Listen, I have no clue who you are or who you might think I am but let me make something crystal clear to you so that you can get it through that thick skull of yours!" He declared harshly, watching the girls face widen as a realisation appeared to dawn on her.

"If-" He continued, "You want to make it to Beacon alive, it'd be in your best interest to stay out of my sights from now on." His final words were said in a hushed, menacing tone audible only to the girl herself.

The girls face made an awkward expression and she looked to her boots whilst rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"Sorry." She murmured quietly, her hand now moving from her head to rub her arm, "I thought you were my friend Ren, he looks a lot like you."

"Buuuttt..." The girl drawled out, "I see now that you're not him. You don't even have his pink highlight."

She chuckled awkwardly, perhaps more nervously than awkward, before looking up and facing him directly, "S-Sorry about that."

The girls heartfelt apology made Sasuke's cold exterior soften slightly.

He reminded himself that technically the girl had done him no harm, and as if his brain was further trying to persuade him to forgive the young teen, he felt that it would be in his best interest not to make any enemies on his first day. If only to ensure his plan transitioned smoothly that is.

He sighed quietly to himself, noticing that only now had the others on board the aircraft taken their eyes off of the pair and focused on the dejected looking girl in front of him.

"I accept your apology but also ask that you forgive me for my outburst, I took things too far, as I have been known to do."

The girls eyes lit up brightly, to the same level they were at before the accident happened.

"Oh thank you thank you thank youuuu!" She screamed reaching out for a hug only to be stopped by the teen's open palm holding her back.

"No ones ever been that angry with me before, I didn't know what to do! But then I thought of making a cake, you know as an apology, just not one of those boooring regular cakes but one made from something fancy like ice cream or maybe-"

Sasuke cut the girl off by placing a hand over her mouth, barely preventing himself from developing a headache.

"Don't you have a missing friend on this ship somewhere? Maybe you should go and look for him, you know... make sure he's safe." He persuaded, in his most convincing and pleasing tone of voice.

She muffled inaudibly for several seconds underneath his hand, her face sporadically shifting expressions every second or so before she sprung free of his restraint.

Racing off in the direction of another section of the ship, presumably to look for her friend, she squealed a high pitched, "GOODBYE!"

Indiscriminately, the silent raven watched, as the pink blur zig-zagged her way through other students until she was finally out of his sight.

Taking another moment to ensure she was gone he allowed himself a long, exhaustive sigh.

Finding a seat close to his original, he leant against the cold interior wall of the ship closed his eyes. After that whole endeavor, combined with the tiresome journey, if the teen could accurately describe how he felt in one simple word it'd be 'drained'.

The teen must have dozed off in that position for several hours, as he was only woken by the pilot's sudden announcement over the PA system.

"Passengers, please be aware that we will be docking at Beacon in 10 minutes. We wish each and every one of you the best of luck in your studies and hope that you will become the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses."

The tired raven stood to stretch out his body, and once comfortable sat back down in his seat.

He spent the next few remaining minutes staring motionlessly at the digital clock on the wall. It was surreal to believe how lucky he was to get into Beacon, an opportunity that he came upon only by chance and one that he would not squander.

The airship began to decelerate and vibrations could be felt all over the ship. It slowly hovered in place and turned to position the cargo doors facing the landing platform.

Sasuke stood in line next to the other students just as eager to depart from the stuffy ship as himself.

 _'This is it Sasuke'_ He encouraged himself watching as the door slowly lowered to create a ramp.

 _'No matter what you learn in there, no matter how much this school might change you, no matter how much you may enjoy it, you must fulfill what you've promised. You must have your revenge.'_

And with that, the raven took his first steps outside of the ship and towards his new life.

* * *

 **So... um yeah. This is my first story for this site (and the first I've ever typed up in general). I tried to write to the absolute best of my abilities for this first chapter.**

 **I've honestly done at least 12 revisions so far and I'll probably do more once my writing skills develop further. I really, really, really hope you enjoyed this first chapter!**

 **The second one is on its way and should be up next week. If not on the same day then the next (unless I get my act together and write reams of stuff, in which case it could be 3-4 days for the next chapter). I can't stress enough how much I would appreciate your reviews (I hope I don't sound like a dick when I say this but please, if you are going to review, make your review at least two sentences long).**

 **Any critiques of my writing style would be great (I'm aware of my addiction to commas BTW). Your reviews will most likely be the things that bring me back to the story when I inevitably get writer's block a couple of chapters in.**

 **Finally I want to thank all the amazing writer's on this site that have inspired me to write my own story. I'd name them if I wasn't so nervous about how this chapter will be reviewed. Well... that's it really. I should probably go now, it's gonna take me a solid hour before I get the courage to publish this. So in conclusion umm...**

(As of the 21st of January 2017, this chapter has been edited/rewritten slightly)


	2. Chapter 2: Light

**So here it is. Only what? 2/3 months late. Yeah it was not a good idea for me to start this story during the most study intensive year of my life. I'm not gonna layer excuse after excuse onto anyone who cares enough to read this. All I can really say is I'm sorry. I doubt many of you are that attached this story, especially when you've only been introduced to our angsty little Sasuke and no one else. So yeah, I'm really really sorry to anyone who cares about this story in any way at all. God knows I apparently don't give a shit about it.**

 **So hopefully this won't happen again. I do actually like this story and have the entirety of its framework worked out, I just fail at executing it. From now on I'm only leaving a realistic date for my next update, which will probably be a month from now. I can't fully abandon it after all, it helps me sharpen my writing style.**

 **Right then now down to business;**

1\. To everyone who complained about 'Orange' and 'Purple', yeah sorry about that I was in the wrong their. What I was going for was too realistic I think. The names were only to be nicknames, so that they would not give away their real names to the victims of their muggings (I got a serious laugh from the comment comparing them to pokemon characters). After looking through my notes apparently their names were Rudy(Orange) and Max(Purple)... so yeah could have elaborated on that better. It'll be something I deal with once I edit that shitty chapter.

2\. River King (Commenter) I think your right man. It was a bit of a dickheaded move for me to ask for long reviews when any at all are encouraging. So as of now any reviews are welcome. I read all of them (there's 10 I've counted).

3\. Ships. Yeah this is a hot topic issue I was expecting. If I'm being honest, I don't personally care for romance stories in genres that are supposed to be full of action. There is a pairing however, which I quite like the idea of that's never been done before. As of right now I think it might positively benefit the story and so it's in the framework. So to answer the question... yes there will be at least two pairings. We'll see how things progress as I write more.

4\. Now, as of this chapter and the last, Sasuke and Jugo might seem a little OC. This I assure you is only temporary, as I hate when characters do something completely out of character (Don't read this next bit if you haven't finished the chapter, it's vaguely spoilery). Jugo right now is a little shy and nervous simply because of the backstory I've written for him. Within 2 or 3 chapters I guarantee you he'll be that loveable old block of solidarity that keeps the kids in line. Suigetsu and Karin you haven't met yet, but if they feel OC at first don't worry I know what I'm doing. At last Sasuke. The Sasuke in Taka was on a search for revenge, thats what made him so serious and angry, and of course is why the group was so enjoyable to watch. My Sasuke has the revenge part down so he's angry, serious and a really unlikeable jackass if I'm being honest. I couldn't write a good story in which they were all acquainted before going to Beacon. So in summary, I suppose my task for Sasuke is to make him trust and work with Taka and not see them as a bunch of idiots, who knows, maybe he'll even come to like them?

5\. Finally, a thank you to everyone who reviewed; Guest 1, Guest 2, Guest 3, Sandwich (Love the name), River King, RenKouha99, Danish78, danceman, lioncousin and last but definitely not least doa570047. It was really enjoyable reading your reviews and thank you for the kind words.

 **With that all out of the way Happy New Year and enjoy. And please leave a review. I wasn't aware of how much I craved feedback. That's it I'm done, it's like 4 in the morning goodnight.**

(Edited slightly as of 21st January 2017)

* * *

What hit him first as he left the disparaging plane was the light. It was blinding. A stark contrast to the rather dull and murky interior of the ship.

Once his eyes had adjusted to the brightness he took in the sight in front of him; the formidable school.

Immediately he was in awe. Light shone over the school and through the bell tower, presenting it in a manner so radiant, you would be correct in believing that it came straight out of a fairy tale. The school's gothic architecture, usually synonymous with cold and gloomy buildings, was purely inviting, and seemed to call out to the students in such an alluring way that many could not resist sprinting full speed towards the enormous open doors.

Finished with his basking, the raven forced himself out of his daze, shaking his head slightly and observed his surroundings.

The students were dropped off in a courtyard not too far from the school itself, with two rows of streetlights running parallel to each other and acting as guides to the students. What he did not expect to see upon his arrival however, was that there were two identical ships that had docked next to the one he had traveled on.

' _If this many people can get into Beacon, then maybe it's not as_ _prestigious_ _as I had presumed_ ', Sasuke thought intolerantly, watching the vast sea of students flow in tandem towards the open doors.

It would be fair to say that the boy did not like people, so this newly found development did not excite him in any way. In fact, over the course of the last few years of his life, he had only coerced with about 90 individuals, an impossibly small number for a traveler such as himself.

Taking his eyes off of the crowd, Sasuke could now see that he was one of the few still left at the landing platform, one of the two left to be other remaining student being an impressive sight to behold.

He stood a clear and intimidating 7 feet tall, with a physique so burly it made his shoulders stretch to the width of two regular sized humans. He wore an impenetrable looking outfit comprised of chainmail and leather, with the leather in areas where flexibility was required. The attire stretched from head to toe, even to his hands which were covered in hardened leather gloves.

The teen looked to be 18 years old, the same age as Sasuke, and had spiky orange hair sticking out in random directions, obviously unkempt. As the young adult remained close to the door of the airship he arrived on, Sasuke had a clear view of the boys eyes, which were focused on the school in front of them. They happened to be a powerful mixture of red and orange, but also served to betray his disposition.

Despite the giant's outward appearance, Sasuke could see that within his eyes he was nervous, even what he did not know, nor did he even speaking to the boy once, the raven could tell that he was a follower, not one to be followed.

A moment later a thought popped into his head. He of course knew about the schools assignment of students into teams, and had even heard rumours of partnerships within those teams. As a result apart of his plan required finding a partner that was manipulatable, trusting and above all loyal.

Continuing with this train of thought, Sasuke quickly skimmed over his possible options for a partner thus far. So far though, all he could rely think of was the innumerable amounts of total waste he had encountered on the airship and the dim-witted but powerful girl. The girl almost fit his ideal profile but would be too annoying to cope with after a very small amount of time.

Weighing his options he sighed, ' _I can work with him._ ', he thought reluctantly, ' _Seems to be a quiet pushover._ _The others, not so much_ '.

The raven gave a weary groan of belligerence, dragged a hand across his face and finally sauntered over to interview his new 'partner'. ' _Perhaps it was fate_ ', he mused, ' _That the sight of this giant would remind me of the need to have a partner_ '.

In a sinister fashion, akin to the young raven, he finished his train of thought off darkly, ' _It might even be worthwhile having a pion as strong and manipulatable as him_ '.

A wide, devious smirk had quietly etched itself onto the raven's face as he made several additions in his head to a plan he had been eagerly waiting to put into action. However, once he had come close enough to the large teen to garner his attention, it had quickly disappeared in place of a fake but well-rehearsed smile.

"I see your as impressed by the school as I am," Sasuke said truthfully, his eyes taking the opportunity to once again gaze at the majestic academy, "It's impressive."

"Yes... um... yes it is," the orange haired boy struggled nervously to talk at first, but gradually calmed himself.

"If I'm being honest it's... well... it's a bit overwhelming." His tone of voice had become much more downtrodden. It alone made him sound as if he wanted to quit the school he had yet to take a step inside.

Whilst the giant was wallowing in confusion and hesitation, Sasuke's heinous mind worked away. ' _This is good. I can work with his insecurities._ ', he gleamed happily, ' _Even if I can't have him completely under my thumb, I don't believe he'll cause me much trouble._ '

Satisfied with his reasoning and choice of partner the raven was now only tasked with convincing the pure soul into accompanying him. Not a problem for a teen who considered himself somewhat of a wordsmith and came from a family well versed in manipulation.

"Your fear is rational. Entering a foreign place you've never been to before, completely alone. I can understand that." Sasuke stated to the forlorn teen, garnering the boy's full attention.

"I don't know who you are or where you come from. But I do know you must have worked hard to make it to Beacon. Would it not be a waste to throw all that hard work away?"

His rhetorical question seemed to be the clincher. The raven had only employed the most basic of techniques into his sentences, yet they appeared to work wonders on the giant, who looked at the raven gratefully and uttered a sincere, "Thank you."

Sasuke himself struggled internally to prevent a knowing smirk from developing.

"You did come here alone didn't you?" Sasuke questioned plainly, receiving the boy's inevitable nod.

"I don't know anyone here either." The raven admitted.

"If you want to though, the two of us could stick together for now." He declared with a happy grin, his insides recoiling at his own sappiness.

If the giant teen was not already joyous from the encouraging words he had gotten earlier, he certainly was now, a large smile plastering his face.

The raven outstretched a hand to the large teen, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and you are?" His words were said in a soft, suave manner, to further expand upon his supposedly friendly demeanor.

Eyes wide in surprise, the orange haired boy took a moment to process what had just occurred. Calming himself, as Sasuke had saw him do before, the giant raised his own burly hand to shake.

"My name is Jugo Neharubi, and I would be honoured to be your friend."

With this gesture completed, the two unknowingly sealed the deal on a comradery which would stand against, and overcome, many unforeseeable hardships.

"I suppose we should follow the others then Jugo. There will be plenty of time for introductions later, but for now I believe we should head inside." The raven smiled, retaining his polite disposition and in doing so realised he may have to keep it up for some time.

Jugo on the other hand, although now seeming calm and content, was overjoyed by the prospect of having a friend and was fighting to keep himself from showing it.

The formidable pair gave each other a single, simple nod before finally beginning their slightly delayed journey into the academy.

* * *

Upon navigating themselves inside the large open doors of the school, the mismatched partners were greeted with a sight to behold.

Fabulous marble pillars rained down across the borders of the room, sturdy enough to support the egregious weight of the school, yet simultaneously keeping their grace and beauty in tact. Banners depicting Beacon's signature ensignia of two crossed axes positioned themselves along the pillars, and provided the room with a warm feeling of total security, protection and isolation. Betwixt the stone columns were glamorous stained-glass windows, each with its own unique design, that told a similarly unique story. Charitably, they provided a service to the school by illuminating the room, causing the cut marble to practically shine.

Filling the entirety of the room were the students. Students made up of both species, every colour and every nationality conversed and laughed freely with each other. Each and every single one of them brimming with joy and excitement at the prospect of studying at Beacon.

To Sasuke, a man who had seen more violence in his life than peace, it was almost surreal to see so many people get along so well.

Noticing that a figure had taken to the stage, Sasuke motioned Juugo to move forwards into a less crowded area, next to a tall blonde haired girl and a short red head.

The resounding chime of a microphone and the subsequent quiet cough into said microphone gained the attention of the crowd. "I will make this brief." A man stated tiredly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the speaker, who was without a doubt the schools mysterious headmaster Professor Ozpin, a man who took center stage in his plan.

As the man in question yammered on, Sasuke remembered briefly the copious amounts of books he had acquired and libraries he had frequented, in search of information on the aforementioned individual.

Usually he never found anything, but this did not surprise him. Commonly, newly elected headmasters of the 4 main academy's in Remnant erased all evidence of their past, and to some degree their identity.

It was after all, easier to run a school for the next generation of warriors when you didn't have a target on your back. Headmasters of the 4 main schools had some of the largest bounties on their heads, although Sasuke was unsure who would place these bounties and for what purpose.

And whilst it might seem unbelievable that bounty hunters would infiltrate a school full of enemies, it was not unheard of, given the attempted assassination in Shade years ago.

"You will gather at the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready, you're dismissed." Sasuke had only woken from his fixated trance on the headmaster when a new voice spoke. It was a woman's, Glynda Goodwitch's, to be exact. A well-renowned huntress who Sasuke had no need to further study, he had already been made aware of her presence at the school and had researched both her and the other Professor's vigorously before his arrival.

As the crowd began to disperse Sasuke looked to his partner, only to see that Jugo was focused on something entirely different to the presentation.

Following the boy's eyes the raven found his point of interest to be the tall blonde haired girl they had stood next to during the speech, who was now walking away.

"Unbelievable." The raven scoffed. He could clearly see the look of adoration and attraction in the young giant's eyes. They traipsed over her voluptuous figure admonishingly. This was an unfortunate development from the raven's point of view. At this early stage in their 'friendship', Sasuke needed to make Jugo totally dependent on him to garner his loyalty.

As the raven watched his partner gaze at the maiden in yellow, he became confounded by the glimmer of sadness in the boy's eyes. With a quick deduction he narrowed down the possibilities for this action to either a dead loved one who looked like the girl or a past failure in romance, neither of which he was particularly interested in learning about.

Finished, and pleased with this small deduction, the raven donned his kind, altruistic disposition before walking up to and questioning his rather sentimental partner.

"What's got your attention?" The raven asked coolly, waiting patiently for the answer he was already aware of.

Juugo was slightly surprised by Sasuke's appearance and visibly jolted, before focusing on the girl once again and regaining his composure.

"It's nothing. Nothing important." He finally offered as a response, with a bad attempt at a reassuring smile following straight after.

Sasuke eventually returned the smile with one of his own, not a real one of course, but a better example of a fake one than Jugo's.

"C'mon then, lets find some food." He ushered the giant to follow him with a wave of his hand, "I'm not sure about you, but I haven't eaten in hours."

* * *

Trailing across a twilight lit room, filled to the brim with adolescents was a pair of tired, pitch black eyes. Eyes that conveyed themselves to be both empty and remorseless. They were a rare breed of eyes. The sort that, if you found yourself so unlucky as to stare straight into them, they would appear bottomless, and swallow you within a sea of anguish and despair.

The bearer of these maleficent orbs did not at present however, accurately portray their deadliness. He, alongside his colossal partner, was presently embroiled in the conundrum of finding a resting place within the massive ballroom of Beacon academy.

The raven and the giant begrudgingly came upon the realisation that there were no spare sleeping quarters within the vicinity of the ballroom. The main problem that the raven and the giant were tackling, was finding a place that could accompany Juugo's large stature.

Scuttling between the rows upon rows of bodies, lying comfortably on the Academy's generously provided sleeping bags, Sasuke continued to scout for a space whilst solemnly Jugo, with both the boys' bags slung over his shoulders, followed, focusing more on not accidentally stepping on an unlucky student than actually searching for space.

What annoyed Sasuke the most about this entire situation was that almost everyone in the hall was awake, with many settling their eyes on the nomadic pair. He was always annoyed with standing out and being noticed, be it due to his looks or his abilities. A reason for his general avoidance of people up until the last few weeks.

His dire search for a suitable resting place was sparked on by his interpretation of what tomorrow's 'initiation' entailed.

To him, it was not a coincidence that many sub-par students, as he would put it, had managed to get into such a prestigious school. The raven firmly believed that there would be some sort of catch. There had to be. What he most predicted to occur would be some sort of race. Not one of speed or endurance, but possibly one that involves killing as many Grimm as possible within a certain amount of time, or, at a stretch, one in which the students would fight against each other. The lowest ranking individuals would obviously then be let go.

Nevertheless, whatever trial was going to occur, he was absolutely sure that only a small percentile of students would remain at the school afterwards.

If he was being completely honest, Sasuke had complete faith that he would pass.

'It's a given.' He thought with disgust, as he looked at the bright, starry-eyed youths around him, a bitter taste singeing his tongue.

His only doubts and concerns rested in his partner. It seemed stupid, even to the raven himself, that he should worry over such a physically gifted brute weighing him down... not in the literal sense that is. Yet Sasuke had always been overly cautious, a trait bestowed upon him by his father with which he put into great effect.

The duo's entire expedition, in search of an adequate resting place for the 7 foot tall giant, had actually been suggested and spearheaded by Sasuke. An act which Jugo greatly appreciated, failing to realise, by no fault of his own, that the raven was only doing it so that they would not be hindered in any way tomorrow.

All in all, the raven had no clear idea of what would happen tomorrow. He was completely unaware of what 'initiation' would entail and if it was some sort of test, he would prefer to get some sleep, away from the ruckus and noise of the students around them.

Abruptly he stopped in his tracks, causing the steadfast giant to just narrowly avoid bumping into him.

"What do you see Sasuke." Jugo asked, to the teen who payed him no heed, narrowing his eyes in the direction his partner was facing.

The raven, with his hawk-like vision, had just seen a questionable sight. He noticed a small clearing within the rows upon rows of sleeping bags which had been lain out methodical rows, making the opening all the more confusing. It was not an enormous space, and there were already two sleeping bags in the center of the clearing. Luckily however, there was just enough space for his accomplice to fit his oversized body.

Viewing it as the best, and only, plausible choice, the raven ushered the titan to follow him with a quick flick of his wrist.

Maneuvering their way to their new site, with Sasuke arriving much faster than his slow associate, the duo found the pair of girls that had stood next to them during the assembly. Their backs were turned to the partners, and they seemed to be having a small arguement.

The raven took a quick glance at his partner whose face was tinted slightly red upon seeing the girl of his affection. Sasuke almost groaned aloud over his discontent at the new situation he was facing and turned back to the girls to distract himself.

"Excuse me." The raven announced, with his absurdly monotone yet booming tone of voice, which commanded attention.

The girls were fast to face them, and immediately Sasuke observed their features.

'Sisters... no... half sisters.' He quickly deduced, proudly making use of his gifted vision.

"Umm... hi there." The short red-haired one squeaked nervously, possibly intimidated by the pair, and rightly so given their looks.

On the other hand, the blonde-haired was far bolder, confidently strutting up to the raven, who stood only a few centimeters taller than her.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" She questioned seductively, looking Sasuke up and down and even circling around him to get a better view. Though the long cloak he donned prevented her from seeing much, if anything, other than his ankles and face.

"My friend and I were hoping that we could set up our sleeping bags next to yours." He said emphatically and with almost no emotion, largely due to his discomfort towards the taller sister's advances.

He motioned a hand to point at Jugo, whose cheeks reddened at the attention of the taller sister.

"As you can see, my friend here is too big to fit anywhere else." Resting his arm by his side he continued, "And for whatever reason you seem to have cleared out a space for yourselves."

He noticed a smirk slowly grow onto the girl's face as he spoke. No doubt she took pleasure in teasing and annoying others.

"I suppose what I'm trying to say, is that we're staying here now." He suddenly declared, forcefully.

"I hope that you will have no problem with this?" This last statement came off sounding like a question, but one in which the answer was already predetermined.

The blonde girl appeared to be elated at the news, and for what reason the boy didn't want to know.

"I dunno if we can let you stay." She pondered flirtatiously, placing the side of her head in her palm, to look as if she was debating the prospect.

"I had to chase away the last guys to come here, as you might have noticed." She informed the pair, directing her head towards the abundance of empty space around them.

"Buncha perverts got a little too close to my cute siste-"

"How many times do I have to tell you Yang! They only wanted to know what time it was." It was the blonde's small sister who cut her off. As she now had his full attention, Sasuke got a better look at the girl's face, which told him that she was definitely at least a year or two younger than her sister.

"Of course you can sleep here." The red-haired girl smiled, "It's getting late and we should all really go to bed." She delivered her sister a powerful glare, "Isn't that right Yang?"

"Yes Mom." The girl now known to the nomadic duo as Yang replied to her sister sarcastically then turned to face them once more.

"Well it was nice meeting you guys. I'm Yang and the small, bundle of pre-pubescent anger over there is my sister Ruby." She extended her right hand to either of the pair.

"Nice to meet you...err-"

"It's Sasuke. And my partner behind me is called Jugo." The raven pointed his thumb over his shoulder to point at the tall lad, who gave a warm smile and a meek wave to the two girls.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." The giant said plainly, taking the girl's uncharacteristically coarse hand and gave it a firm shake.

In that moment the two locked eyes, and saw each others fiery determination and strength. At the time they did not know it, but in the not so distant future the two would lock eyes again. Not as fellow students slaying Grimm, no, nothing as picturesque as that. In one of their future encounters the pair would face each other on opposing sides of the battlefield, as huntsman and huntress.

* * *

Hearing that they could collect their weapons from their newly designated lockers made Jugo happier than any other time Sasuke had seen him. They were currently making their way to the academy's locker rooms, following and being followed by the rest of the new student populace.

An earlier announcement from Glynda Goodwitch had awoken them both, along with everyone else, and they were told that there would be a short breakfast held in the cafeteria before initiation would start.

In a sporadically synchronized fashion the partners had quickly and efficiently packed away their possessions, the few they had on them that is.

As signs of a queue began to form around the single door which led the way to breakfast, they had left the sisters to themselves. This of course, was at the behest of an impatient Sasuke, who could no longer wait on the fumbling sisters still packing away their things.

After a quick breakfast, consisting of mostly pancakes on Jugo's end and various fruits on Sasuke's, the crowd was once again addressed by Professor Goodwitch.

What initiation would entail was still kept a complete secret during the announcement, with the single piece of relevant information being the location of the weapons room.

And that's where we now find our intrepid huntsmen-in-training, walking in tandem with the rest of the students towards their weaponry.

"Must mean a lot to you ehh?" The raven questioned, with fake cheer but genuine interest in his voice, as his mind ran over what kind of weapon a brute such as Jugo would use.

In the short time the pair had known each other they had already seemed to have built up a rapport with each other, even deciding to become partners officially if the rumours turned out to be true. Most conversations generally began with small talk or a question, but then divulged into personal opinions and history.

As a result the pair we're fairly inclined to share information with each other, without much need for secrecy. Not that anything Sasuke had told Jugo was truthful.

"I suppose it does." The giant admitted with sadness in his voice, his gaze now cast on the floor as he walked. "It was a gift from my parents. The best I ever could have asked for."

As cold and callous as Sasuke was, he could understand and even empathise with the clear sorrow now adorning the boy's face.

Acting as if he had not seen the boy's obviously sad state, the raven proceeded to move the conversation along, before it became even more awkward and unbearable.

"So what kind of weapon is it?" He asked nonchalantly, looking ahead into the crowd which appeared to have reached its destination.

Juugo smiled at the change of topics. He was slightly more observant than he looked and knew that Sasuke had purposefully steered the conversation away.

Sasuke toyed with the idea that Jugo had seen through his rouse, but knew for certain it was not plausible.

' _Sorry, but_ _I'll always be two steps ahead of you Jugo._ ' He thought with monotone remorse, unable to prevent a sinister grin from forming on his usually blank-slated face.

Whilst his kind facade had disappeared completely in his head, he attempted to keep his face under control, by getting rid of his abhorrent grin and looking to the giant with a smile, awaiting his answer.

"I don't really know how to explain it. It's a little intense." The large boy joked bashfully, almost embarrassed as his cheeks grew a little red, "We're almost there. I'll show you."

The gruesome twosome, as well as everyone else had arrived finally arrived at the locker rooms. Immediately all ounces of order broke down, with people scrambling past, and on top of each other, as they searched for their designated locker.

Even the partner's were pushed into, despite their scary and domineering demeanor, which was purely accidental on Jugo's part.

The pair decided to break up for now, as their lockers were on opposite sides of the room, but planned to reconvene shortly.

Finally alone for the first time since he had arrived, not including the frantic students running around him, Sasuke breathed a hefty sigh of relief, even stopping in his tracks to take in the moment. It was tiresome to keep up this kindly disposition and he was certainly not looking forward to keeping it up for next few years.

However, it had to be done. He could not allow himself to stand out in any way, including battle, if he was to accomplish his mission. If a certain someone recognised him it could jeopardize everything, and would undoubtedly lead to his mission's failure, if not also the raven's imprisonment.

Not wishing to dwell on heavy subjects any longer, Sasuke set about locating his weapon.

The boy's locker was located at the far back of the room and was just as ordinary as any other. A soft smile adorned the boy's face once he opened the locker, the sight of his weapon providing him with confidence and comfort.

The students were asked to relinquish their weapons at dinner last night and Sasuke had done so, albeit reluctantly and after much deliberation.

With the sword now back in his hand, he took in all of its deadly beauty. The sword in question was a jian, in other words a double-edged straight sword, and its name 'Kusanagi'. The blade, not including the handle, was about 27 inches long and weighed barely 2 pounds making it a short, to mid-range weapon.

A small circular guard was in place above the weapon's handle, in the shape of a red and white fan, the crest of Sasuke's clan. The boy had a great love for this blade. It was more traditional than most these days, not transforming into some sort of gun or projectile. No, it was a sword, plain and simple, not even having any slots for dust crystals, they weren't necessary.

Although, in more ways than one this sword was incredibly special. The raven had 'received' it from his father long ago, who in turn had been handed it down from his own father. It had been passed down from generation to generation and Sasuke was proud to have inherited it.

The sword had a special attribute to itself. It was forged by a legendary blacksmith for his family as thanks for saving his daughter from bandits. He bestowed it with the special ability to be able to grow or shrink by up to two inches at its user's beck-and-call.

This may not be the most spectacular of abilities compared to other weapons, and debatably, may not be worth the trade-off for having the weapon transform into a gun. However to the Uchiha's, this weapon was deadly when used in accordance with their superior sight, speed and agility compared to regular huntsmen.

Elated to have the blade back in his hand's the boy gave it a sharp, hefty swing in the air, the motion ingrained into his being through years of experience.

Satisfied that his blade had been untampered with, the rogue sheathed it within it's matching stylised scabbard located on his hip, which was just the right size to be able to remain unnoticeable under his heavy cloak.

Shutting the locker, the raven began to make his way towards the entrance of the room, where he and Jugo had agreed to rendezvous.

He passed a number of his possible rivals along the way, taking note of their weapons rather than their faces. That freeing feeling of peace had returned to him, and he took all the time he had to bask in it.

Unfortunately for the black-haired teen, his moment of bliss came to a rather abrupt end. Purposely blocking the path in front of him was a small, diminutive girl in pure white, ' _This must be the Schnee I heard was attending._ ' He assumed.

Judging from the look of awe in her eyes and her mouth, which was quivering with excitement, it was obvious she wanted to speak to him. Then again, maybe she was just infatuated with him like many of the girls he had met in the school.

Next to the snowy-haired girl were two people he did not recognise, both of which were looking at the Schnee quizzically. The first a tall, confident, fiery-haired girl who in his humble opinion, appeared both beautiful and as if she would prove effective in battle. The second was less impressive. He was a tall boy, about the same height as Sasuke, with short blonde hair. However he lacked any indication of strength or maturity, judging from his underdeveloped muscles and his current ogling of the Schnee girl.

Stopping in his tracks in front of the actual princess, the boy looked at her questioningly, as she had not yet said a word to him. He motioned to move past her but she suddenly broke free of her trance and shook her hands wildly in front of him.

"Y-You're an Uchiha correct?" She asked starry eyed.

The boy had to admit, he was taken aback by the statement. He had not been expecting to be recognised for his appearance so quickly, and by one of the students no less.

"Yes you're right." He gave a forced cough, in a poor attempt to hide his surprise.

"I'm an Uchiha, and I can see know just how far reaching my family's notoriety is."

The girl in question squinted her eyes, gave a mini fist pump and inaudibly squealed "Yesss!"

It appeared to the rest of them as if she did not mean for the display as shortly after she noticed their stares, her very pale cheeks grew noticeably red.

Copying the actions Sasuke had done moments earlier she coughed and straightened herself up before addressing the raven again, "Well Mr...-"

"Sasuke."

"Sasuke." She confirmed, continuing, "My name is Weiss Schnee, of the famous dust corporation. And If you're as skillful as any of your legendary family members, I would like to invite you to join my elite team, which also compromises of the famous Pyrrha Nikos." The girl directed a hand to the red-haired girl, who offered the Uchiha with a cheery "Hello!" and a small wave.

The Uchiha was perplexed. He recognised the name of both girls now. One of course being the rich princess, the other a decorated battler and the modern day equivalent of a gladiator. The raven would now be lying if he said that the offer did not intrigue him. A team filled with a formidable trio such as them would be nigh invincible in battle.

Unfortunately for the Schnee girl, the raven could never have accepted this offer. The boy needed weak, manipulatable students who would not question his actions and who he could easily intimidate. If the boy was being completely honest he was unsure if he would win a fight against this Nikos girl, if her reputation preceded her.

"I'm sorry." He apologised, feigning genuine empathy, these two would no doubt pass the exam and he did not want either of them taking further interest in him, lest he gain the attention of the schools upper echelon.

"I've already got a team in mind. In fact I have to go meet my partner right no-"

"Sooo... seeing as this guy's not on your team, how's about opening up a spot for me Snow Angel." The blond boy interrupted, stepping between the Uchiha and the Schnee and leaning on a pillar in front of the girl.

Under most circumstances the raven would have absolutely crucified the boy for his lack of respect. This one time would be the exception he promised himself, as the Schnee girl just began lamenting about the boy's behaviour, their exhausting exchange prompting the Uchiha to leave.

As the two bickered, Sasuke made his way around them to reconvene with the one person he was able to stand thus far, his partner.

Surprisingly enough, as soon as he began to walk away the gladiator called out to him.

"Goodbye Sasuke. And good luck with initiation!" She cheered with another small wave. The entire gesture was unnecessary but Sasuke appreciated it, if only for the fact that one of the three individuals had managed to show any manners or etiquette.

Just catching sight of Jugo at the doors to the locker room, an announcement was made on the academy's intercom, by Professor Goodwitch herself once again.

" _Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately._ "

In a manner which appeared to be purely coincidental, both boys made eye contact as soon as the transmission had finished. Neither could hold back their smiles, or in Sasuke's case a grin that was borderline psychotic.

Jugo's weapon looked to be concealed within a large black case on his back. Sasuke made a mental note to have the boy show it to him whilst they made their way to the cliff.

With an obligatory 'Hello' and a 'Let's get going' on the part of Sasuke the pair confidently made their way through the academy's halls towards the famous cliff... only to be informed by a number of second years that they were heading the wrong way and embarrassingly led the rest of the journey.

* * *

The raven had to admit it, he was surprised. For the second time since he had arrived the boy was stunned. First by the sight of the school itself and now the view of Emerald Forest from the world famous Beacon Cliff. It was an unusual feeling for him to be surprised, but not an unwelcome one if moments such as this were the result.

A single, but long, row of separated stone platforms adorned the top of the famous cliff, Beacon's insignia once again encrusted their surfaces. Upon the pair's arrival the boy had scoffed, unable to believe that a school could be this prideful, not realising just how ironic that notion was to himself specifically.

One of the first things Sasuke took note of was the drop. The cliff stood some 100 metres tall. Nothing that he couldn't handle jumping from of course, however to a regular human or an unskilled aura user it was without a doubt certain death.

Stood next to his would-be rivals on platforms right at the edge of the cliff, the raven eagerly awaited for the task they would be dealt to be announced. Unfortunately for the boy, no member of the academy's staff was present at this time. And so the boy found himself using this time to study both the area and the students next to him.

To his right was Jugo, his weapon now out of its casing and gleaming in the light of the sun. The weapon in question was a large two-handed axe. Its head, a mix between a battle axe and a bearded one, was made from pristine titanium with the bladed portion being around 18 inches long. The handle too was crafted from metal which served only to further add to the weight of this monstrous weapon, yet this was a necessary component.

Unlike Sasuke's 'Kusanagi', Jugo's great axe could transform, and into some sort of bazooka/rocket launcher hybrid. The raven had asked the boy how he could have the handle of the axe small enough for him to hold it, without being too small for the missile.

In return he was told that the rocket was unable to fire large missiles, a definite drawback for the weapon in Sasuke's mind. Jugo did inform him though, of how he opted to using highly-concentrated dust capsules as projectiles, arguably an even better trade-off due to the many dust variations, but at a much more expensive cost.

A trigger could be found on the underside of the axe, obviously for firing the weapon. From what Sasuke could measure, just from observing the weapon, was that once Juugo flipped the weapon over to fire it, the axe head would just barely slide underneath his arm, facing upwards and giving him something stable to steady his aim... that is if Sasuke was correct in his observations.

Its name, 'Monster', he only remembered on a whim, not taking much interest in any of the weapon's history, which Jugo had discreetly relayed to him until they had reached their destination.

Two his left was the pink-cladded, orange-haired girl whom he had encountered on the plane.

She arrived shortly after he did, the raven and his associate being the first to arrive oddly enough, even though they had gotten lost. It seemed that she had remembered him, waving her hands animatedly at the boy once she caught his eye.

Tugging at the sleeve of the boy behind her, Ren, if Sasuke was correct in remembering, he was able to see how the girl had mistaken him. The two were almost identical were it not for their attire, the pink highlight in Ren's hair and Sasuke's much more rugged face.

After responding to her gesture with a nod she proceeded to position herself to his left and began running through the events of the previous day. He wasn't entirely sure what made her think they were so well acquainted with one another, probably the fact that he looked just like her friend helped, but he wouldn't complain about this situation.

It was easier after all to have her as a friend rather than an enemy.

The boy pretended to listen to the girl, tossing her a look and a nod every so often, as she prattled on about various unimportant occurrences between the last time the two had met. For his part, Sasuke found that the droning noise made things go by faster, watching as one by one every platform was filled.

He was abruptly startled out of his trance by the girl's loud proclamation of "WAIT A MINUTE!"

A few people turned their heads to the girl, who seemed to be adept at drawing attention, with both Sasuke and Ren tossing her perplexed looks.

"I never got your name!" She exclaimed, turning her entire body to face the boy and pointing a finger in his direction.

The raven was admittedly surprised by this development. Somehow they had managed to become 'friends' without even exchanging names.

"It's Sasuke." He said before quickly finishing, "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well I'm Nora Valkyrie!" She declared jamming her thumb into the top of her chest.

"And this here is my beeeeestest friend Ren." This was uttered as the girl yanked her friend off of his platform and into a tight headlock.

The poor coughed and tapped at Nora's shoulder for her to release him. He straightened himself out and coughed again, "It's Lie Ren actually. And it's nice to meet you. I'm sorry about what happened between you and Nora yesterday by the way. I can assure you we've talked about this and it won't happen again."

He nudged the now quiet girl's shoulder, "Right Nora?"

"Yes Ren." She whined crossing her arms, obviously sulking.

"It's fine it was just an-" Sasuke's words were cut off by the sound of a whistle. All eyes were drawn to the pair that had just arrived.

Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch had arrived and now stood at the furthest point of the cliff, presumably so that they could address all students.

Immediately there was a hushed silence as the students shuffled into position. Sasuke had to earnestly force himself to look forward into the horizon. He knew that if he faces Ozpin he would be unable to hold back a venomous scowl.

Waiting until it was completely silent and the wind washed around them Ozpin began, "For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

He stopped and Professor Goodwitch continued, "Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of teams, well allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."

Someone to the far right of Sasuke groaned at the news. The raven himself was glad to have it sorted out sooner rather than later.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ozpin took over once again, elaborating on the news.

Meanwhile that same person groaned again.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years."

This bombshell caused a number of to blurt out their surprise. To his far right he could here Ruby's childlike voice screech "WHAT?" and to the left of him Nora told Ren something along the line of "See, I told you."

Sasuke was completely surprised by this development. ' _This whole farce contradicts entirely with what he just said_ ' His mind argued. He glanced at Juugo and muttered quickly and quietly to him, "Avoid anyone else you hear or see until you find me."

The large boy who appeared to have panicked a little at the news, judging from the look of worry on his face, nodded to his partner and breathed out heavily to calm his nerves.

At this Sasuke was happy again, or as close to being happy as an Uchiha can be. Jugo now seemed to depend on Sasuke to a certain degree, and after only such a short time. On the spot, he was forced to come up with a plan. Unlike he had presumed, your teammates were not picked, but decided by randomly. His thoughts created an order of objectives to follow, those being in order; find Jugo, seal their partnership, scout for gullible idiots from the treetops.

It was as far from a surefire plan as possible, but there were simply no other options, meaning this was the best he could hope for.

"After you've partnered up make your way to the Northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die." Any noise that had arisen from the earlier pieces of news was now gone, with students paying the headmaster their full attention as if their life depended on it.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff." Sasuke growing uneasy again. He just wanted it to start already.

"We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, now knowing that there were no more tasks.

Even further to his right than Ruby a boy had begun to ask a question, but was ignored by Ozpin, "Good! Now take your positions."

Around him, fellow students took several stances, some of which looked bizarre to him. Finally he readied his own, crouching slightly and putting his left forward and his right behind him. It was similar to the stance of a professional sprinter, but without touching the ground with his hands.

Once again Ozpin was asked a question, but Sasuke didn't care enough to hear the answer. As several students to his left were launched, his mind was working at full capacity on his landing strategy, factoring in wind trajectory, the power of the spring-board he was on and the maximum velocity he would reach once airborne.

As student after student was sent flying he knew his turn would be up soon. The raven was practically shivering with excitement, the grip on his sword tightening impossibly, until it was as if he and the sword were one and the same. He felt slightly ashamed of himself for his childish state of excitement, but perhaps killing a few Grimm would calm him down.

 _ **Tick, Tick.**_ ' _Funny_ ' He thought, hearing the springs beneath his platform uncoil, ' _I can't be next could-_ '

His final thought was interrupted by his sudden jettison into the air. Sailing into the sky, body more ready than mind, he was sent highest into the sky, his cloak making his body more streamline. Looking down at those beneath him he smiled. Large Grimm could already be made out by his sharp eyes, along with his fellow students still in the process of landing.

They were all his enemy he realised solemnly. Yet there was no point in moping. He had a promise to fulfill and a task to achieve. And come rain, hail or sun he would accomplish it. His code of lex-talionis demanded revenge and he would have it. Yes indeed, he would kill Ozpin.


End file.
